The Little Mermaid
by Im-a-tiger
Summary: A different take on the the Disney version of The Little Mermaid, in response to the DGM kink meme. Kanda decides that human weapons are so much better than those under the sea... Warnings: yaoi, disastrous misunderstandings, eventual smut. LavixKanda
1. She Was Real

Hurrah! Another Lavi x Kanda story finished and waiting to be uploaded 3

Disclaimer: I own neither -Man nor the Little Mermaid.

Also, I realise that another Little Mermaid based story has been written but, apart from the general theme, the plot is entirely different (for a start, Kanda plays the role of the mermaid, ahem, merman).

Poinless Author's notes aside, Enjoy!

AaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAAaAAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAa

Kanda scowled at his father.

"I refuse to parade myself in front of that crowd of snobs. Get one of my sisters to do it," he sneered, "they'll be more than happy to."

He flicked his long hair, which floated out behind him.

"Now, now Yuu, you are my son. You will do as I tell you. Everyone in the kingdom agrees you have the best voice of all-"

Kanda cut him off. "I don't care. I will not parade around that stage singing for those idiots. I don't even like singing. The only reason I do it at all is because you promised to get me a sword. But you got me the sword for my 18th birthday anyway, now there's nothing you can bribe me with... And don't call me that!"

"Yuu be reasonable."

"Tempting but I have to decline. I'm leaving."

"But Yuu..."

Kanda turned and swam indignantly away without another word.

BbBbBbBbBbBbBbBbBbBbBbBbBbBbBbBbBbBbBbBbBbBbBbBbBbBbBbBbBbBbBbBb

Kanda was annoyed. Really, really _pissed off. _So pissed off, in fact that he hurried away to do the one thing that his father had told him to never do. He swam to the surface.

Not that he hadn't been there before, of course. He didn't see the big deal. All it was, was fresh air and some noisy, annoying birds. In his opinion there was nothing up there he needed to be cautious about. Not even those strange, tailless mermaids that particularly worried his father.

The thought was fresh in his mind as he followed one of the creature's – humans, if he remembered correctly – floating vessels. He moved along side it, pausing at a wide hole in its exterior. Curious (he'd never been angry enough to get this close to a human vessel before), he looked inside.

His eyes were quickly drawn to an odd weapon in the hand of one of the humans. His eyes widened. He'd never seen anything like it before. It was amazing. Unique.

He wanted it.

The hammer.

It would be perfect for his weapon collection. Slightly awed, his gaze shifted around the room for anything else of interest. Only one other thing caught his eye, a large, carved statue of the merman without-a-tail, wielding the giant hammer against an unseen foe.

He must be a war god. Kanda looked at the statue, impressed. He must have that too.

Kanda fell back in shock as lightning struck the boat. Now lighting _was_ dangerous. He knew that one for a fact. When it hit the edge of his tail it had taken weeks to heal. And it had hurt. A lot. He was about to turn and swim back to his lair when he saw the... human... with the hammer fall into the water.

It was his lucky day. He could take the hammer while the human couldn't do anything about it.

Kanda swam to the human and pulled on the hammer. "Damn it," he muttered. The human held the hammer in a death grip. He couldn't get it free. Without thinking he pulled at the human, dragging him unintentionally to the surface.

The human took a deep breath and opened his eye. He seemed to gasp for a moment before he spoke.

"Extend."

Kanda wasn't quite sure what had happened. Suddenly he found himself flying through the air. One hand gripped the hammer, which seemed to be growing and the other gripped the human's upper-body garment.

They hit the ground with a thud, the hammer shrinking almost immediately and skidding across the sand.

Kanda was trying to disentangle himself from the human when he felt something grasping his upper arm, pulling him forward roughly.

"You saved my life..." The human reached forward with his other hand, brushing the hair from Kanda's face. "You're such a pretty girl..." Kanda smacked him, watching in satisfaction as his eye rolled back into his head.

Turning, he dove back into the water. "Delusional idiot," Kanda growled, tempted to go back and hit him again.

Instead of going back to his palace, Kanda went to the only place in the ocean that gave him a shred of comfort. His secret armoury.

Hidden in a cave in the outskirts of his Kingdom, Kanda's armoury was filled with human weapons. He had found them in the water after fights on their vessels, or after they had been destroyed by storms. He didn't understand how his father could hate creatures that had such good taste in weaponry.

Kanda's eyes widened in surprise when he entered the cave, immediately noticing the new addition. It was the statue. Just sitting there, right in between the swords and pistols. He swam over to it, looking for breaks. He was thrilled to find that it was still perfectly intact; not even the spiky extremities of his hair had snapped.

Kanda traced his fingers over the eye-patch, wondering if it was the result of some epic battle. His other hand trailed to the figure's thigh, running lightly over the tiny holster strapped there, remembering the way the hammer shrunk to fit it.

"So that's how it is?" His father's booming voice filled the cavern, echoing as it bounced off the stone walls. "I guess this is why you rejected all those lovely mermaids I brought before you." He was livid. His face was red and he couldn't continue to speak.

"What the hell are you talking about? Those girls were vapid idiots and I don't see what they have to do with anything."

"How dare you insult me like this? Did you think I wouldn't find out?"

"Of course I thought that! This is the only place I can get away from you and all the other daft excuses for mermaids in the entire kingdom!"

"Not for long," his father's whisper was dangerously low. It only got like this when he was absolutely furious. Too much so to yell. Kanda narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

He saw as his father raise his magic trident, the points glowing red with energy. Lightning bolts flashed about the cave, shattering everything they hit. Kanda watched, horrified, as his collection was blown to pieces. Everything he had worked so hard to acquire was being destroyed before his eyes.

The rubble cleared away. Only his statue still stood proud, the last thing left intact. Kanda spun to face his father, mortified. The Sea King raised the trident once more.

"Don't look away. This is your punishment."

"Don't. You. Dare," Kanda growled, shaking with fury.

There was a loud crack as the statue seemed to explode from the inside, pieces flying like missiles. The dust slowly settled to the ocean floor.

"Bastard." Kanda swam from the cave without looking back; too angry to care where he was going.

"Yuu, I..." he watched his son's retreating back with a sigh.

CcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcC

"She was real, Allen." Lavi looked wistfully out to the ocean. "You should'a seen 'er. She had the most beautiful hair and eyes..." Lavi thought for a moment, rubbing his bruised chin. "...and one helluva right hook."

"Yet she disappeared without a trace and no-one's seen anyone who looks even similar to what you're describing."

"But she was there, I tell ya. She had the most exotic features. I've never seen anythin' like it. Beautiful. I hafta find her."

Allen dropped his head into his hand; there was no convincing him when he had his mind set like this.

"We'll do what we can," he sighed.

DdDdDdDdDdDdDdDdDdDdDdDdDdDdDdDdDdDdDdDdDdDdDdDdDdDdDdDdDdDdD


	2. It Exploded?

It was a while before Kanda had calmed down enough to look where he was. And when he did he realised he didn't recognise anything.

"Shit," he yelled, swiping his tail at some poor fish that happened to be swimming nearby. His stomach grumbled.

"Now, now dear, we mustn't lurk in doorways. It's rude." The voice came from further inside the large cave he seemed to have drifted into.

"What the fuck do you want?!" He shot into the cave.

"Now, now, that's no way for a prince to talk." A figure drifted into view, grinning widely tipping his odd top hat in greeting.

"How the hell do you know who I am?"

"I have my ways. My, my..." He moved around Kanda, looking him up and down. "You _are_ as pretty as they say."

"Shut the hell up. Don't talk to me that way." He was starting to feel disturbed by the stranger's familiarity and odd comments. He began to leave.

"Wait a second, my child." Kanda didn't stop. "I said _wait_."

It felt like shackles had attached themselves to his wrists, holding him firmly in place.

"What the-"

"Good, good. Now I have an offer for you. I've seen the infatuation you have with that human and I'd like to help you."

"_You _want to help _me_... wait... _what_?!"

"You don't need to hide it from me, I saw the way saved him from the shipwreck and how angry you were when the king destroyed the statue."

"I wanted his hammer, idiot, that's _all._"

"Oh, _right,_ his _hammer. _It sort of comes as part a package deal, you know. In order get the... _hammer_... you need to make the prince fall in love with you, and to do that you need to be human. That's where I come in."

"You can make me human?" It seemed fair enough, really, if the human fell in love with him, he'd give him the weapon.

"For a price."

"Who are you? I don't make deals with people I don't know."

"Ah. Smart boy. I'm the Millennium Earl."

"Millennium Earl," Kanda muttered. He'd heard it before, he was sure of it, but where?

"Here's the deal: I make you human for three days. In that time you have to get this prince to fall in love you – that is, he has to kiss you, and not just any kiss, the kiss of true love – then you can have his _hammer_ and remain human permanently."

"But I don't want to remain--"

"That's the deal. Take it or leave it. Oh, and if you should fail, you will belong to me, to do with as I please."

It was a tough call. On the one hand, he would get the hammer, which he really, really wanted. On the other, he would never see his father again... wait, that was a good thing too. And he would never see his sisters again... that was another good thing, they would never touch his hair again. He'd never be forced to sing in public again. It was perfect!

"I'll do it." It couldn't be that hard to get the prince to fall for him.

"Alright," The Earl was grinning. In fact he hadn't stopped grinning. "One more thing, I expect compensation for my generosity. As payment, I'm taking your voice – temporarily, of course. Just for the three days."

"Che. Just do it already."

"As you wish."

And then everything was black. All Kanda could feel was pain – as though he was being ripped in two. His eyes blurred and began to sting. He tried to take in a breath, but the water that filled his mouth gushed down his throat, salty and unpleasant. Then he was choking. Desperate, he swam upward on the strange limbs that had replaced his tail.

He took a deep breath as his head broke the surface, coughing until the water emptied from his lungs. He kicked his legs painstakingly until he reached shallow water. He stood shakily, and looked down over his new legs.

"_What the fuck is that!?"_ He yelled, or at least he tried to. No sound came out.

Kanda took a few uncertain steps towards the beach, tripped over his feet and caught himself on a large rock.

"_Shit!"_

He sat down, trying to think of what to do next. He didn't even know how to find that man.

EeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeE

Lavi was at the beach. He'd been out there a lot lately. Looking for her.

In the distance he could make out a figure on a rock. She had long black hair cascading down her slim back. He couldn't believe it. It was her. It had to be. Why was she naked?

He ran forward. "Miss! Are you alright?"

The girl swung her head around, losing her balance and falling unceremoniously to the ground. She stood quickly, spinning to face him.

He looked her up and down. She... wait... _definitely not she_... shit... _that was his_... he...

Lavi gawked.

"Holy shit!" That was defiantly not the girl he was looking for.

"_Who the fuck are you calling 'miss'?"_ The boy glared at him and seemed to be yelling, but he couldn't hear anything. Lavi quickly regained his composure.

"Uhh... are ya okay...sir?" He watched eyes narrow further and received no answer.

"Do you have any... um... clothes?" The boy drew himself to full height, pushing his shoulders back and displaying himself proudly.

"_I have nothing to hide."_

Lavi stared at the ground, taking off his jacket and holding it in front of himself. "Please put this on. Uh, I'm Lavi by the way."

Kanda was about to refuse, but he saw the hammer glinting at Lavi's side. Grudgingly he accepted the article of clothing.

Kanda looked at it for a second, not quite sure what to do. He figured his arms were meant to go through the openings, seeing they had no other possible use.

Lavi watched with interest as the man struggled into the jacket. Amnesia maybe? His lip quirked upward. Or perhaps he was a part of one of those nudist colonies? Nah, that wasn't it. The way he held himself, he was too arrogant. If he hadn't found him naked on a beach, he would have assumed royalty. But watching him struggle with the coat, that seemed highly unlikely.

When the boy was mercifully covered by his knee length jacket, Lavi looked him over more carefully. He looked just like her; the same oriental features, long hair and bottomless eyes.

"Do ya happen have a sister?" Lavi asked smiling. Kanda glared, but eventually nodded, holding up six fingers.

"Strike!"

Kanda rolled his eyes, gesturing across the ocean.

"They're across the sea? Damn. So, whatcha doin' here on the beach anyway?"

Kanda pointed at the sea again. He waved his hands trying to indicate a shipwreck.

"Ya came on a boat?" Lavi guessed. "An' it... exploded?" Kanda nodded (close enough).

'Boat'. That was what those human vessels were called.

"Oh, I see. If ya need somewhere t'stay, you can come with me."

Kanda nodded. Not smiling, but not glaring anymore.

"Come, I'll show ya the way." Lavi walked forward, looking back for a moment to make sure the strange boy was following. He was, albeit shakily. It seemed like he was trying to relearn how. Poor guy, he must have been through a lot.

FfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFfFf


	3. You got lost?

The moment they arrived at the castle, Lavi had promptly found him some proper clothing. Kanda had found it frustrating to put on all the different layers, because frankly, he didn't think they were worth the effort. He'd rather wear nothing.

Then, he'd been shown around Lavi's castle. There were so many winding corridors and rooms that he would not be able to memorise in just a few days.

When night came, Lavi lead Kanda to the dining hall where they would have dinner. There was a young man with white hair seated at the table. Kanda didn't like the look of him. He cocked his head to one side, frowning. From that angle, he looked kind of like a beansprout.

"Allen, how are ya?" Lavi grinned.

"Hi Lavi!" Allen called, then noticed the person beside him. He jumped up, dragging Lavi to the other side of the room where the mute boy couldn't hear them.

"I can't believe you found her!" he exclaimed, surprised. "Why have you got her wearing men's clothes? Is this some kind of joke?"

"It's no joke. And that ain't her. He's a boy." Allen looked at Kanda closely and realised he was, in fact, a man.

"Why is he here?"

"His ship blew up. He had nowhere t'go. The poor guy's lost his voice."

"Wow. Do you know his name, or where he's from?"

Lavi shook his head and sighed.

"He looks just like 'er, Allen. He has the same grey eyes, the same features. God, he even has the same hair."

Allen nodded. Maybe Lavi had been delusional after the wreck, but not in the way he had originally thought. He kept his suspicions to himself, though.

Kanda watched as Lavi conversed with an idiotic-looking, white-haired boy. The beansprout kept glancing at him with an odd expression on his face. Kanda pulled off one of his shoes and threw it at the redhead.

"Ouch! Hey? What was 'at for?"

Kanda seethed, still standing awkwardly in the doorway. He tapped his bare foot impatiently.

"_Hurry the hell up!"_

Lavi beamed and ran over to him.

"Ya don't hafta wait for me t'sit down, y'know," he laughed, grabbing Kanda by the shoulders and dragging him to the table.

Allen moved to the other side of the table and took his own seat, smirking to himself.

Lavi sat down next to Kanda. "So what didja eat where ya came from?"

Kanda rolled his eyes and glared at him.

"Heh. I forgot. Y'can't speak can ya? Sorry 'bout that." Lavi grinned apologetically.

Kanda glowered at the utensils on the table. How the hell was he meant to eat with those? The circular one looked like it should be used to take someone's eyes out, and what the hell was that pointed thing? He recognised the last one. A knife. Almost as good as a sword.

"What? Don't 'cha know how to use cutlery either?"

Kanda looked at the wall.

"Oh god. You don't."

GgGgGgGgGgGgGgGgGgGgGgGgGgGgGgGgGgGgGgGgGgGgGgGgGgGgGgGgGgGgG

Kanda squirmed in his bed. It was so squishy and uncomfortable. How could anyone sleep in something like that? He preferred his clamshell back home.

Eventually, Kanda got up. Well, if he wasn't going to sleep, he might as well take a better look at Lavi's hammer. He wandered the castle's halls, still in his nightwear. Why did humans need so many outfits?

It wasn't until a few minutes later that he realised he couldn't remember where Lavi's room had been. The redhead had pointed it out earlier during his tour, but Kanda hadn't been paying any attention at the time. He cursed himself mentally.

Kanda listened at every door to see if people were awake, then peeked in. If he went on like this, he would eventually find Lavi's. He heard loud snoring behind one of the doors and looked inside.

"_Finally."_

The red-head was unceremoniously splayed across the bedding. His nightshirt had ridden up to reveal his stomach and a fair portion of his chest. Lavi's mouth was wide open, a trail of drool sliding down his chin and falling onto the pillow. One of his legs was twitching.

Kanda shook his head.

"_Idiot."_

Lavi's clothes were tossed over a chair at the foot of the bed. Kanda started to shuffle through them. Damn. It wasn't there. Where the hell was it? He looked over at the bed to see a small black handle poking out from under Lavi's pillow.

"_Shit."_

How the hell was he meant to get to it there? The bed was pressed against a wall and the handle was on the side opposite to him.

He could always wait until the three days were up, but he'd already walked this far. No point going back to his room without having at least held it.

He leant over Lavi's chest, reaching out for the handle, his fingers barely brushing the tip. Damn wide bed. He needed to get closer. He lifted one knee up onto the mattress, swinging the other over the prone body so they rested on either side of Lavi's hips. Kanda reached out again.

"Hi?" Lavi blinked once, trying his best to focus on the figure above him. _The girl._ No. Boy.

Kanda froze, one hand still stretched towards the hammer. They stared at each other, unmoving until Kanda broke from his trance, scrambling from the bed and hanging his head guiltily. He looked up from between thick bangs. Lavi was still gawking at him, his cheeks visibly reddened in the poor light.

"Did ya want somethin'?"

Kanda shook his head.

"Then, are y'lost?"

Kanda saw his escape and nodded frantically. He was glad he didn't have to try to explain himself.

"Um, did ya want me t'take y'back to your room?"

Kanda nodded, ashamed to have to use such a poor excuse. He knew Lavi didn't buy it either. He must know that Kanda was after the hammer. The weapon was important; he knew that much from the way Lavi took it into bed with him. He should be kicked out of the castle, instead of being lead back to his room by an unexplainably flustered redhead.

Lavi stood by the door for a second, watching nervously as Kanda walked over to his bed. He gave a questioning stare.

"I'll, um, see you tomorrow."

Once Lavi has left him, Kanda dragged the bed covers to the floor, making himself comfortable.

"_Much better."_

HhHhHhHhHhHhHhHhHhHhHhHhHhHhHhHhHhHhHhHhHhHhHhHhHhHhHhHhHhHhH


	4. Chapter 4

Lavi knocked on the boy's door. He'd promised he would take him out to see the town today. But after last night, he was rather reluctant.

Why had he been in Lavi's room in the middle of the night? Hovering over his bed, no less...

Why hadn't he pushed the boy away the moment he had woken?

"Wake up!" He yelled, before opening the door and walking in. The bed was empty. Odd. The covers weren't there either. He looked at the floor and saw the boy curled up in a pile of blankets. Lavi blinked a few times to make sure he wasn't seeing things. But no matter how many times he opened and closed his eyes, the boy didn't move.

Lavi knelt down, shaking his shoulders. "Wake up."

Kanda jumped, stumbling to his feet. Unable to retain his balance, he fell forward. He would have landed face down on the floor if Lavi hadn't caught him.

Kanda pulled away. Straightening his back and trying to pretend it hadn't happened.

Lavi grinned, but Kanda noticed it was lopsided.

"We'll head out soon. There're some clothes in the dresser. Try not t'hurt yourself. M'kay?"

Kanda nodded, already half way through pulling the nightshirt over his head.

"I'll give ya some privacy, then?" Lavi said quickly, averting his eyes from the pale expanse of Kanda's stomach.

Kanda rolled his eyes; it wasn't as though Lavi hadn't seen him naked before. Why were his ears bright red?

When he was dressed, Lavi lead him to the carriage that had been prepared for their trip. It was small, only big enough to fit two humans, and led by several odd looking animals. They stood on all four limbs, had long faces and were covered completely in fur. Kanda walked up to one, poking at a flared nostril. It blew a gust of air on his face, making him sneeze.

"She's pretty, ain't she?" Lavi commented, looking at Kanda, "We only buy the best horses."

Lavi helped Kanda into the carriage, before sitting in next to him. He picked up a pair of ropes that were attached to the headgear worn by the 'horses'.

Kanda gripped the edge of the carriage as it jostled along the cobblestones. He watched Lavi and recognised to movements easily. Controlling these creatures was the same as controlling dolphins underwater. The headgear was similar and so were Lavi's movements. How hard could it be?

Kanda poked Lavi's shoulder to gain his attention, then motioned to the reins with the other.

"You wanna go? Do y'know how to control 'em?"

Kanda nodded slowly.

Lavi reluctantly handed him the reins. "If you're sure..."

Kanda flicked the reins and smirked as the beasts went faster. He looked over at Lavi for a moment. The redhead was gripping the side of the carriage and looking worried. Kanda flicked the reins again. The horses put on another burst of speed. He repeated the action once more but they didn't go any faster.

"_Good enough."_

Kanda watched a cliff come up on the path ahead of them. His smirk grew as Lavi's eyes widened in horror.

"STOP!"

Kanda egged the horses on and watched in satisfaction as Lavi's face paled. The horses' feet left the ground in a powerful leap and pulled them across the large gap in the road. He pulled the animals to a stop when they were safely on the other side and handed the reins back to Lavi. His expression was sour at Kanda's obvious amusement.

"What were you thinkin'?! Y'coulda killed us!"

Kanda shook his head and shrugged.

"Where did y'learn to do that? How long 'ave ya been doin' it for?"

Kanda pointed in the vague direction of the ocean and held up ten fingers.

"Wow. How old are ya, then?"

Kanda held up ten again and then another eight.

"Well I just turned nineteen." Lavi smiled, puffing out his chest. "And as your elder, I forbid ya from doin' that ever again."

Kanda rolled his eyes.

IiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiI

The Millennium Earl was _not_ pleased.

He hadn't expected Kanda to _find _the prince, let alone have them get along so well. They were already bickering like an old married couple and Kanda couldn't even _speak_. Well if he was going to get the boy for himself, he was going to have to start playing more seriously.

Luckily he had the perfect person to deal with a problem like this.

"Road," he called, "I need your help."

A small, black haired mermaid swam into the cave.

"Earl!" She yelled, locking her arms around his waist.

"Hello," he said, hugging her back. "I need your help."

"What do you need?" She smiled.

"I need you to keep these two from kissing." A glowing orb conjured an image of two figures seated at a small table. Another boy stood near them.

"Sure. If I do it, can I have something too?"

The Earl laughed. "Of course you can! Anything for my favourite little mermaid." He ruffled her spiky hair with a tender smile.

"Show me a close up of the white haired boy." She giggled, as the image zoomed in on his smiling face. "Who is he?"

"Allen Walker. He works for Lavi."

"I want him."

"Absolutely. A fine choice. Now watch the two of them and make sure nothing happens. Please be careful."

"Okay. You're the best!"

JjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJjJj

Kanda watched as Lavi's eye darted over the area surrounding their boat, his feet tapping restlessly as he rowed. Crickets chirped loudly as the sun began to set.

"I'm bored!" Lavi whined, releasing an oar and poking Kanda's side. The boat wobbled.

Kanda glared.

"_What do you expect me to do about that, idiot!"_

"Oh right, y'can't talk," he paused, "I know! I'll guess ya name. We're friends now, yeah? So I have a right to know. "

Kanda looked at him incredulously, raising an eyebrow. How exactly did he plan to do that? Lavi smiled knowingly, stilling the oars and letting them float on the mild current.

"'ere's how this is gonna work: I'll ask y'a question and you just gotta nod or shake your head."

Kanda nodded slowly.

"Good. Okay, how many names 'ave y'got? One?" Shake. "Two." Nod.

"How many letters in your first name? One?" Shake. "Two." Shake "Three." Nod.

"Second name? One?" Shake. "Two" Shake. "Three." Shake. "Four." Shake. "Five." Nod.

"M'kay, now I'm gonna go through the alphabet and you put up your hand when I get the right letter."

Kanda nodded.

"A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R. S. T. U. V, W, X,Y-" Kanda raised his hand.

"Y?" Kanda nodded.

"A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R. S. T. U-" Kanda raised his hand once more.

"U?" Kanda nodded and raised two fingers. "So yer first name is Yuu?" Another nod.

They repeated the process until they had his second name.

"So you're Yuu Kanda. That's an odd name." Lavi grinned. "Okay Yuu, let's play another game."

Kanda's eye twitched. _"Don't call me by my first name."_

"What was that. Yuu? I can't hear ya!" Lavi laughed, raising his hand to his ear and pointing it exaggeratedly in Kanda's direction.

A low growl pushed its way out of Kanda's throat (apparently he could still do that) and he punched Lavi lightly on the forehead.

"Ouch!" He complained, rubbing the sore spot, "Anyway, new game: How 'bout ya point at something and I can tell y'bout it."

Kanda thought for a second, looking around. They were surrounded by calm water, overgrown with strange plants that had large circular leaves and pale, cupped flowers. He pointed at one.

"That's called a lotus," Lavi said, reaching into the water and plucking one. He handed it to Kanda, whose lip twitched upward slightly. Lavi grinned, the closest thing he'd gotten to a smile all day. "They grow all over the world in still, freshwater pools. They are beautiful, but quickly take over the water's surface if they're not cut down occasionally. Anything else?"

Kanda saw his chance and pointed at the hammer. Lavi followed his gaze downwards.

"Wait, what?!" Lavi balked, ears turning red again. Kanda rolled his eyes, reaching across and prodding the hammer at Lavi's thigh.

"...Right, the hammer,"

Kanda nodded.

"Gramps got it for me ages ago. It's my weapon. I was taught t'use a sword and stuff but I wasn't really good at it." Lavi scratched the back of his neck. "But this is my kinda weapon. I was a natural." He twirled the hammer around his fingers. "It's great fun, all I gotta do is whack stuff." A big grin stretched across his face. "Can you fight?"

Kanda nodded.

"Cool. When we get back t'the house I'll show ya the armoury. You can point t'your weapon of choice. Maybe y'can take me on." Kanda smirked and his eyes gleamed.

"I'm good y'know. You won' be able t'beat me." Kanda only shook his head.

"We'll settle this later. Anymore questions?"

Kanda pointed at the eye-patch.

Lavi's good eye widened in surprise and he raised his hand as if to touch it. Then he caught himself, and put it down again.

"I've had this since I was little," he said sadly, "I don't wanna talk about it."

Kanda inclined his head, and they fell into silence.

After a moment, he leant towards Lavi, reaching out and gently running his fingers over the dark material of the eye-patch. The redhead sighed, placing his hand just below the hairline of Kanda's neck and leaning in slightly. Lavi's lips brushed against his for the barest moment before there was a sharp jolt and they were both thrown into ice cold water.

Road smirked from beneath the boat. That Kanda was good at this, but she was _so_ much better.

KkKkKkKkKkKkKkKkKkKkKkKkKkKkKkKkKkKkKkKkKkKkKkKkKkKkKkKkKkKkK


	5. Chapter 5

It seemed that Lavi had had a ball prepared for that evening. Kanda had been invited to join them, too, after he had got himself cleaned from the incident at the lake. So there he was, feeling awkward in a stiff suit and standing alone on a balcony overlooking the dance-floor.

Kanda watched the other guests. Their movements were eye catching; they had something similar in his kingdom but there was no comparison. The way these people moved on their feet it was amazing.

"Hey, Yuu!" Lavi smiled throwing his arm over Kanda's shoulder. "Never seen dancing before either, eh?"

Kanda shook his head and pushed the redhead's arm away. Lavi pouted. Then he smiled, too widely for Kanda's liking and the beginnings of an idea flitted across his face.

"Wanna dance?" Lavi grin stretched out and he gesturing at the couples scattered about the hall. It only widened further when he noticed how disgusted the other boy looked.

"If it's because y'can't dance, don't worry, I'll teach ya."

Kanda shook his head again but Lavi just laughed, pulling him by his wrist onto the dance floor. It was only a moment before Kanda felt an arm sling itself around his waist, gently pulling him closer. His lip twitched a little at the contact. He didn't like people _touching_ him, but he didn't pull away; he needed Lavi to fall in love with him.

"There. This isn't so bad, is it?" Lavi questioned, guiding Kanda between the dancers with simple steps. His answer came in the form of grudging nod. He chuckled and pulled the mute closer to him.

Kanda was surprised. After a while, the rocking movement of Lavi's lower body against his began feel _good_ somehow. It kept shooting sending strange, pleasurable sparks through his body. Kanda pressed his hips closer, and was rewarded when the feeling intensified. He decided that he liked human dancing.

"Gettin' a little hot n' bothered there Yuu?" Lavi whispered against his ear. He shivered.

Come to think of it, he _did_ feel warmer.

"Y'wanna go cool off somewhere? Follow me."

Lavi lead Kanda through the passages of his castle, stopping outside the room he now knew to be Lavi's. The door was opened and he was lead by the waist to sit on the wide, plush bed.

"This is better, yeah? Less crowded."

Kanda nodded. He was a little perplexed – no one else had left the party yet – but he did feel more comfortable now that there were fewer people around. He missed the quiet, away from all those babbling idiots. He noticed Lavi was staring at him strangely.

"There's been something I've wanted to do with you since the boat trip this afternoon... and especially during that dance... take your clothes off," Lavi whispered, his voice husky.

Kanda hesitated. He had no problem with being naked, that was how he had spent most of his life, but he was sure that humans kept their clothes on when they were around each other. He was supposed to wear them even while he slept.

"It's okay, Yuu, I won't hurt ya."

There was something in his tone that made Kanda comply. He stripped off his jacked, then began to work on his buttoned shirt. After struggling to pull the large discs through small holes (they were a stupid way to connect pieces of cloth anyway), he let it slide from his shoulders. Finally, Kanda kicked off his boots and pants. Lavi was watching him in amusement, already completely nude.

Kanda took a quick look down at his own body, half expecting to see a tail still there. Hmm... the extremity between his legs seemed _stiffer_ than it was before. He glanced at Lavi's and noted it was the same.

Lavi noticed him staring. "As y'can see, your grinding got to me as well, I had to get us out'a there before someone noticed."

Lavi leant over him, planting a chaste kiss on his forehead.

"There, now we can take care of your predicament."

Kanda gasped loudly when Lavi ran a finger down his cock, stumbling across the bed and away from him.

"What?" Lavi followed him, taking in the nervous expression. He was only confused for a second before realization dawned upon him. "You've never done this before have you?"

Kanda's eyes widened and he shook his head, curling in on himself shamefully.

"Don't worry," Lavi whispered soothingly, "it's just like when you touch yourself, only they're my hands."

Kanda tilted his head to one side, trying to look as confused as possible – it was the only way to get a message through to the thick-headed idiot.

"You know, masturbating..." Kanda shook his head again. "Wait, you've never..." Lavi trailed off into a small smirk, "Let's remedy that, shall we?"

He grabbed one of Kanda's hands with his own, moving them together to rest on his erection. Lavi curled his hand into a fist, trapping Kanda's beneath it. Slowly, teasingly, he began to slide them up and down along the hard length.

It felt so good; he could barely string together a coherent thought.

Kanda moaned silently, shuddering when Lavi guided his thumb over the head and then back down again. Lavi gripped Kanda's other wrist, steering it to his chest and brushing his fingers over a nipple. Kanda jerked upwards as pleasure washed over him from his own hands moving against his body.

Lavi smiled and moved away, watching as Kanda continued to stroke himself, his thumb and forefinger moving to pinch and squeeze at the bud he had brushed over. He smiled appreciatively.

Unable to stop himself, Lavi leant forward, closing his mouth around Kanda's unattended nipple and running his tongue in circles around it. He pushed Kanda's hand away from his cock and looked up into his lust-hazy eyes.

"I wanna taste you," he breathed. He lowered his face so that it was level with Kanda's erection. He listened as the boy's breathing speed up, felt his hands plunging into his hair and pushing him closer.

Lavi parted his lips, the tip of his tongue darting out to lick the tip of Kanda's cock. Hands tightened in his hair, burning where the strands pulled on his scalp.

_So eager..._

Lavi obliged Kanda's silent pleas and dove forward, his mouth wrapping around the swollen organ. He his eyes darted to the mute's face, watching it contort into a noiseless scream. Lavi sucked hard, dragging his tongue in circles around the head, then taking him in further.

He pulled back and forwards a few more times, and feeling Kanda twitch in his mouth, he could tell the other boy was close to his peak. It hadn't taken long.

But that was to be expected, given how inexperienced Kanda was. Unable to help himself, Lavi grabbed one of his rounded ass cheeks, squeezing it firmly and feeling the other arch against him, his erratic breathing becoming even quicker and more shallow.

Kanda's body gave violent shudder as he came in waves, holding Lavi firmly in place and plunging into his mouth as deeply as possible. Lavi pulled away, breathing hard. A thin string of cum dribbled down his chin. He brushed it away with the back of his hand.

Lavi could have laughed at Kanda's lost expression. His eyes were wide, surprised, as if he didn't know exactly what had just happened. He didn't though, opting instead to draw the other boy into a tight embrace.

"I wanna fuck you so bad, Yuu, but..." Lavi started softly, but Kanda cut him off, reaching between them to grasp the redhead's erection. Lavi moaned as Kanda began to touch him with soft, unsure strokes.

"Harder, Yuu!" he encouraged, leaning forward and locking his lips on Kanda's neck, sucking until he gasped out in pain. Lavi pulled back for a second to admire the dark, blotchy bruise. "Just ah-a little more..."

Lavi groaned, thrusting into Kanda's hand a few more times before releasing over it. Feeling drained and boneless, he fell back against the pillows, dragging Kanda against his chest.

Kanda sighed, the squishy mattress still bothered him, but he was too tired to move.

"G'night."

LlLlLlLlLlLlLlLlLlLlLlLlLlLlLlLlLlLlLlLlLlLlLlLlLlLlLlLlLlLlLlLlLlLlLlLLlLlLlLlLlLl


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry for the wait!

* * *

Kanda rolled over onto his back, taking a deep breath and opening his eyes blearily. He lay there for a while, enjoying the feel of sun on his face. They didn't have this kind of warmth under water. Thoughts chased themselves incomprehensibly in his sleepy mind. That is, until he remembered where he was.

In Lavi's castle.

In Lavi's room.

In Lavi's _bed_.

God.

_He'd been in Lavi._

His mouth at any rate... Was it normal for humans to do that?

He turned on his side to see Lavi's reaction, if he was awake. The prince wasn't there.

Kanda got up and searched the room for his clothes. He was wide awake by the time he had finished the arduous task of getting dressed.

It wasn't until he got to the top of the stairs that he realised something wasn't right. He could hear voices. Some of them were female.

"So you want to get _married_ this afternoon?" Allen's shocked voice floated up the stairs. It was followed by a soft, feminine giggle.

Kanda crept forward to where he could see them, his eyes went wide.

"Yes." Lavi's voice floated to where he stood. It was a weird though. Dull. Monotonous. "This is the woman from the beach. I love her."

Kanda felt chest clench.

"_No."_

What? How could his happed? He had been making progress towards getting the hammer. _Right_.

Kanda took a good look at the woman clinging to Lavi's arm. His breath caught in his throat. It was like looking in a mirror; she had long black hair, grey eyes. She was the same... only quite obviously female. His eyes passed over Allen (who looked confused) and the small spiky-haired girl beside him (who looked smug), then quickly back to Lavi.

His stomach churned. Lavi looked odd, his eyes were so lifeless. Kanda clenched his fist. It was the girl's fault.

He watched in horror as Lavi leant down, kissing her lips. Unconsciously he brushed his own with a finger. That was supposed to be his true love's kiss. Why? Why was he kissing this girl?

Kanda ran back into the hall. He leant back on the wall. It felt horrible. Why did he feel terrible?

Kanda moved to stand in front of one of the large windows. He looked out the horizon, but had to shut his eyes from the glare.

...

...

Glare?

...

...

What time was it? How long had he been sleeping? Kanda looked out through slitted eyes and realised he didn't have long before sunset. And if he didn't kiss Lavi by then, he would belong to that creep, the Earl. He liked being human.

His eyes once again found their way to the couple below him. He glared at the woman. It didn't make sense that she could look so much like him; they weren't related, he'd never even seen her before.

His eyes fell to the shell necklace around her neck. It was familiar. Where had he seen it before? Kanda glanced out the window to check on the sun, then did a double take. There was something odd about their reflection.

"_What the hell?!?!"_

The reflection showed Lavi with the Earl clinging to his arm. Kanda looked back to the girl. She was still there but...

It was a trick. He was trying cheat Kanda into his possession. Kanda's eyes narrowed. He was going to kill that bastard.

Kanda turned on heal and ran back to where he remembered the armoury being. He glanced over the weapons before taking a long black katana from one of the walls. He weighed it in his hand. It was well made; perfectly balanced. Kanda grinned.

When he'd made it back to the hall, Lavi and the Earl were no longer there. Looking around, he saw them standing on the pier in front of a ship.

Without a second thought Kanda ran down the stairs and flew out the door towards the pier. He was thankful that he had mastered his legs enough to be able to move as fast as he did now. It meant he would get to Lavi in time. It meant that he could kill _him._

Kanda spouted silent obscenities as he ran towards the ship, veering around the castle's inhabitants so quickly he almost knocked them over. He made it outside without a hassle.

Kanda tripped on a rock about a foot in front of Lavi. He reached out to grab something for support. His fingers closed around the Earl's necklace, shattering it as he fell.

Kanda watched Lavi blink quickly, as if he'd just woken up.

"Lavi!" he yelled. Wait... Kanda raised his hand to his throat. He was talking.

"Yuu?" Lavi's voice was uncertain.

"Who the fuck else would it be?"

Lavi reached down to help him up. "You can talk." He smiled, pulling Kanda to his feet.

"Yeah." Kanda laid a hand on Lavi's chest. "This asshole tried to destroy me, I'll tell you about it later, but right now you need to-"

Kanda roared in pain. His legs stung as they were pulled together, merging in a flash of light. He fell to the ground, his tail unable to support him. The sword clattered as it hit the cobblestones and fell into the water.

Kanda looked down at his tail, his pants torn to ribbons.

"Yuu? What?" Lavi stared at the tail, his green eye wide.

Kanda looked up at him. "Well I couldn't exactly tell you could I?" He raised his eyebrows.

Lavi nodded slowly, reaching out to him. Kanda reached back. Their fingers were inches apart when Kanda was yanked backwards.

The Earl pinned him roughly against his chest, his arm tight around Kanda's neck. The wedding dress's tattered remains floated the ground around him.

"You're too late," he grinned, pulling Kanda into the water.

"Bastard! Unhand me!" Kanda yelled, struggling against the Earl's grip.

"No. This was part of our agreement. He doesn't love you, he didn't kiss you. Kanda, you belong to me."

"You cheated," Kanda growled. "This deal is no longer valid."

"Silly boy, I never said I wouldn't interfere; you just assumed that," the Earl chuckled, feet landing on the ocean floor.

"Let. Go. Of. Me." Kanda slammed his elbow into the Earl's stomach, hearing a pained grunt as he pulled away.

He could see a black shape from the corner of his eye and darted towards it. The katana he had chosen lay on the ocean floor, dark against the cream sand. He flicked it up with his tail, catching it in a practiced movement.

Before the Earl could blink, the blade was at his throat. He looked up into Kanda's livid face.

"The deal is void." Kanda whispered, icy eyes furious.

"Now I can't do-"

The sword cut into his throat, the current dispersing a small trail of blood. "The. Deal. Is. _Void_." Kanda repeated.

The Earl smiled nervously. "I can arrange that."

"Make me human again."

"What do I get for that?"

Kanda smirked. "You get to live."

MmMmMmMmMmMmMmMmMmMmMmMmMmMmMmMmMmMmMmMmMmMmM

Kanda broke the surface, gasping for breath. His eyes stinging from the salt. If he ever needed to become human again, he would make sure to be out of the water first.

He could hear the commotion before he saw it. People were fretting.

"Get him out of the water!"

"Help him!"

"Quick!"

One voice stood out above the rest.

"Yuu." Lavi stretched out toward him. "Yuu, take my hand."

NnNnNnNnNnNnNnNnNnNnNnNnNnNnNnNnNnNnNnNnNnNnNnNnNnNnNnNnNnNnN

The king sat in his throne, eyes hollow and dull. Grief was etched into his face.

A merman swam up to him, head bowed. The king looked up, the last hint of hope lingering in his eyes.

"My son?" He whispered. "Have you found my son?" He took a deep breath. "Have you found any trace of Yuu?"

The merman shook his head, unable to meet the king's eyes.

"I'm sorry. There has been nothing. We have no idea where he could have gone. We'll keep looking, but..."

He didn't say it. He didn't have to. The king nodded. "Thank you."

It wasn't until he was alone he allowed his head to fall into his hands. A pained moan escaped his lips.

"What have I done?" He muttered. "What have I done..."

His son was gone... and it was his fault.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO


	7. Epilogue

Sorry the last part was a little bit rushed, I hope this epilogue makes up for it. Thanks so much to the people who reviewed, it really make my day when I find the little notifications sitting in my inbox :D

Please enjoy the final part!

**Epilogue**

The king of the Merpeople's head broke through the water's surface. It had become a regular event for him to swim up to watch the stars. Yuu had loved stargazing. He had always come to the surface against orders to look at them. The king sighed, they were beautiful.

The king saw a ship in the distance and watched with vague interest as it sailed closer. Ships were another thing that his son had had a strange obsession with. Even as it came up close, he still couldn't understand Yuu's fascination.

A young man leaning over the railing of the ship caught the king's eyes. He had long black hair and sharp grey eyes. He looked oddly familiar. The king gasped, he had a striking resemblance to...

...It couldn't be.

The king swam closer. It was him. Older, human, but definitely his Yuu.

The king watched as a red-haired man came up behind him, hugging him around the waist. He stared in shock as his son looked over his shoulder at the other man, his lips curling into a genuine smile.

The king beamed at his son before swimming away. Yuu was human now...

But at least he was alive.


End file.
